Together they established the Syrian Sports Academy, and he replaced his dream of an Olympic medal with a goal to "create champions from the young refugees" from his country, says Awad. This was "so that one day they will be able to raise their flag as we have in the past after they return to Syria," says the 34-year-old.
The academy is squeezed into just 30 square metres (320 square feet), in a modestly equipped hall at the bottom of a residential building in the Alexandria neighbourhood of Khaled bin al-Waleed. Inside, Syrian children aged of seven to 10 dressed in T-shirts and jeans form a line after arriving at the end of a school day.
"Let's go, guys, so you have enough time to study," Awad yells in encouragement, as he moves on to coaching them wrestling. With a small administrative office, and the lone training hall, Syrian youngsters practise martial arts, aerobics, ballet, and gymnastics.
In addition, the academy organises football tournaments, especially for Arab and African refugees in the city. On its ageing walls hang pictures of international martial arts and weightlifting champions.
The academy's founders began the project in 2016 with just 3,000 Egyptian pounds (about $430 at the time). The financing came from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which provided 25 percent used to buy equipment, and the rest from the Caritas humanitarian group.